Savita Halappanavar, a dentist understood to be from India but who had been living in Ireland, was 17 weeks pregnant when she died after suffering a miscarriage and septicaemia.

The woman's husband Praveen Halappanavar, 34, claimed she had complained of being in agonising pain while in Galway University Hospital.

Mr Halappanavar insisted several requests by his late wife for a termination were met with the answer: "This is a Catholic country."

Her husband told the Irish Times that his late wife [a Hindu] responded: "I am neither Irish nor Catholic" but they refused to carry out a medical termination because the foetus's heartbeat was present.

She was forced to spend a further 2½ days “in agony” until the foetal heartbeat stopped, reported the Irish Times.

She died on October 28.

Pro-choice protests outside the Dáil are planned for 6pm this evening while a sister demonstration is planned outside the the Irish embassy in London to support the Irish pro-choice movement.

With feelings running high amongst the Irish community, many are warning against the protests turning violent.